A round-up of news from the New Zealand tour

Reluctant: Earls prefers 13 to wing

KEITH EARLS remains a reluctant utility man, all the more so after winning his last five caps at outside centre. “Deccie came over and spoke to me. He knows I want to play 13. He said I’m pushing him really hard and giving him a lot of headaches for that spot, but he feels this week, he needs me to play on the wing, so as you already know, I’ll do whatever for the team. But I’ve let him know that 13, I want. That’s my position.”

Still, in his last outing on the left wing against Wales in the World Cup quarter-final he scored a try, adding to two in the previous game against Italy and he can take comfort in his higher strike rate on the left wing (eight tries in 15 Test starts) compared to outside centre (three in eight) and fullback (one in two).

“I’ve mainly good memories,” he conceded of his games on the left wing, “scored a lot of tries, but either way I’m feeling confident. Two weeks ago was my first start against New Zealand and I always felt playing against these guys, I find it really tough, but I actually enjoyed myself and got a lot more confidence from it myself, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Photo finish: 49ers say cheese

THE 49-strong Irish squad of players and management, minus the departed Gordon D’Arcy, eventually formed three obedient tiers for the traditional end-of-tour squad photograph yesterday. It was taken across from their hotel in front of Lake Wakatipu to the backdrop of the Remarkables mountain range, prior to their charter for Hamilton.

This required some work from Inpho photographer Billy Stickland as he shifted them around impatiently before walking across the road to fully capture the stunning vista – a thin layer of cloud crossing midway up the mountains on an otherwise sunny, if particularly chilly day. “Don’t wave,” he barked to the giddier ones.

“You have to be strong, otherwise they’ll destroy you,” he explained afterwards.

Aside from its stunning views, by New Zealand standards such a gathering is liable to attract more puzzled passers-by in Queenstown than avid rugby fans keen to avail of such a memento, of whom there were about 20.

“No pictures,” barked press officer Karl Richardson with deliberate irony. No pictures? No chance.

Cull-de-sac: Irish are down 11 Lions

ALL TOLD, 16 Irish players were either originally selected for the Lions tour to South Africa three years ago or were subsequently called up, and of those only five are available to Ireland this weekend. Jerry Flannery and Alan Quinlan, who ultimately missed out along with Tomás O’Leary (who didn’t make selection for this tour), have since retired, as have John Hayes and David Wallace.

Paul O’Connell, Stephen Ferris, Tommy Bowe and Luke Fitzgerald were ruled out with injury before the tour, and have now been joined by Jamie Heaslip and Gordon D’Arcy. Six active but injured Lions! That leaves only Brian O’Driscoll, Keith Earls, Rob Kearney, Donncha O’Callaghan and Ronan O’Gara as the Lions who are still standing and all bar Fitzgerald of the injured half-dozen were also at the World Cup in New Zealand earlier this season.

Puts their efforts here in perspective.